Acura Q&A

2007 Acura TL Question: Transmission Service

Question

Visitor, Cottonwood, AZ, October 19, 2010, 12:45

I'm confused about a transmission service. Three area Acura dealerships recomend that I get a transmission flush while a fourth dealership says Acura recomends that you drop the pan. Of course, just dropping the pan is the cheapest but what is best for the car. A little help please.

All of us work on cars and have our own opinions but is based on what each of us have seen work for the majority of cars that we ourselves have worked on. I don't like using flushing machines on transmissions that have not had regular service, there is too high a risk of dislodging dirt and causing it to stick somewhere internally in the transmission. I like to get the oil hot, drain it, remove the pan where applicable, replace the filter where applicable, refill the system, if you want to get out more fluid if the car has a transmission cooler you can keep filling the transmission with clean fluid and allow the dirty fluid to exit from a cooler line. On Honda/Acura products I like the OE ATF-Z1 fluid. Honda actually told there dealers not to recommend transmission flushing machines. I change the trans oil in my TL every 20,ooo miles by draining and removing the oil pan the trans has lasted a long time fluid stays clean.